District 25 has much to celebrate this year in our efforts to Achieve Excellence. Last year when announcing our District Focus for 2015-2016 at the Spring Conference I stated that there are three steps to achieving excellence: Expect it, Work for it, and Appreciate it.
How did our members follow through on
Achieving Excellence?
Expect It - Many members and clubs made commitments. They set expectations for themselves that they would reach certain goals.
Work for It - Our members turned in 950 educational achievements during 2015-2016! Many clubs had a Club Success Plan for the very first time. Club officers attended training to ensure they were prepared to help and encourage their members. As of now (though reports are not final) we have 82 clubs that achieved Distinguished status or better.
Appreciate It - We should all be proud of our accomplishments this year. Your fellow members, the officers of your clubs, your district officers, all appreciate what you have achieved. And remember that even if you fell short of reaching the goal you had set for yourself, the fact that you tried is appreciated. Some of our clubs fell short of the Distinguished goal (as did District 25) but we need to remember that our results do not always show what we’ve done, but our efforts do make a difference. We can celebrate the efforts we made and build on them for even greater success this Toastmasters year.
I know firsthand how difficult it is to realize you have fallen short of a goal you have worked so hard to achieve. But remember that we are just starting a brand new year with opportunity to create better club quality and more opportunities for our members.
It was an honor and a privilege to serve as your District Director for 2015-2016. I will treasure the memories made and look forward to doing my part to help our district "Experience Excellence" this Toastmasters year.
Cindy Hinckley
